Pain on top of ankle (Read 11688 times)

I did a 5-mile run on a treadmill today and now the top part of ankle feels sore and hurts when I'm walking. I didn't twist it or anything and there is no swelling. It just hurts when I flex the ankle. I don't normally run on a treadmill, but I'm traveling this week and I'm using the treadmill at the hotel.
Is this something I should be concerned about?
Could it be the use of the treadmill? Could my shoes be the problem.....I started using a new pair on Sunday, but I did 10 miles on that day and didn't have any ankle problems.
With all the various aches and pains I'm getting these days, I just a bit paranoid. The heart and mind is willing to do "the work", but this old body doesn't seem to want to cooperate :-)

I've never run on a treadmill, but I know from what others have said that it sounds like it can cause one to adjust their gait some. I'd not be at all surprised if this is the case. Is it the same leg as the one you have been having knee issues with? If it's the other leg I'd wonder if maybe you were subconsciously favoring that leg and putting more stress on the leg with tne sore ankle? I know when my hip flexor was bothering me that I started having random moving aches and pains, since I was probably compensating and adjusting my gait a bit. It's amazing how the tiniest change in form can wreak havoc all over the place.
k

'15 Goals:

Is it the same leg as the one you have been having knee issues with? If it's the other leg I'd wonder if maybe you were subconsciously favoring that leg and putting more stress on the leg with tne sore ankle?

It is the other leg. My knee pain was in my left leg. The ankle pain is on my right leg. I'm not aware that I've altered my gait, except possibly because of the treadmill. My knee doesn't hurt while running so I doubt I'm altering my gait because of that.

I think you'd be surprised by how much you might be altering your gait without knowing it. I find that almost every time I have pain on one side of my body that as soon as it starts to lessen I seem to find pains on a different area of my opposite leg. Right now my left knee and shin area have been a little tender (I think it's a shoe issue, since I haven't been running very many miles, but it always seems to be there). As soon as my left leg pains seem to ease up I find my right quad complaining and my right foot going a little numb. While I can't really detect that I am in any way compensating, I'm sure I am in some very subtle way.
Can you go back to your old shoes for a few runs to rule out the new shoes? If that does nothing, then I would maybe talk to a doctor, just in case there is some biomechanical issue.
Hope you get to the bottom of this. This past early Fall I really dealt with traveling pains and it was a real pain...heh, literally. Once my hip flexor healed everything else fell into place and the pains all went away.
k

'15 Goals:

• Do some dus...and some CX...and some tandem gravel...and some podiums...

• PRs

• 130#s (or less)

Jeffrey

posted: 12/6/2006 at 11:21 AM

I can't comment on your specific condition but I can tell you whenever I toss in a random treadmill run I get "random sore areas" in my legs. Actually it could be my foot, ankle, calf, knee. Something always gets sore and/or tight and stays with me for a couple few days. Now I just try to avoid the treadmill.

1. You're not old.
2. I just clicked on your blog link out of curiosity and let me just say I'm impressed. 50??? Fifty?? Good lord man you have made some serious progress in a short span. I also like the way you've been extremely constent and intelligent about your training. Keep at it!
3. Whe I run on a treadmill I tend to shorten my stride a bit and land even more forward on my foot than normal. This usually results in *some* soreness in the top of my foot, near the ankle on my left foot. Always the left one for me. This is the same area where I once had a bad case of tendinitis and a stress fracture in high school. I get the same thing when I do speedwork or race, by the way. For me, it's nothing to worry about and just in the category of normal aches and pains from running. I can always manage it with ibuprofen and/or limiting my speedowork. If it doesn't get worse and doesn't affect your running then it's probably nothing to get to concerned about.

1. You're not old.
2. I just clicked on your blog link out of curiosity and let me just say I'm impressed. 50??? Fifty?? Good lord man you have made some serious progress in a short span. I also like the way you've been extremely constent and intelligent about your training. Keep at it!
3. Whe I run on a treadmill I tend to shorten my stride a bit and land even more forward on my foot than normal. This usually results in *some* soreness in the top of my foot, near the ankle on my left foot. Always the left one for me. This is the same area where I once had a bad case of tendinitis and a stress fracture in high school. I get the same thing when I do speedwork or race, by the way. For me, it's nothing to worry about and just in the category of normal aches and pains from running. I can always manage it with ibuprofen and/or limiting my speedowork. If it doesn't get worse and doesn't affect your running then it's probably nothing to get to concerned about.

Where did you see that I was 50? I'm actually 38.
I'll see what happens when I get back home. Maybe the treadmill is to blame.
I don't mind the pain and various aches, but my greatest fear right now is that something goes wrong and I can't run anymore.

That's why my greatest fear is not being able to run. Running has been a big factor in my weight loss and I want to lose 20 more lbs. I think it was someone at RA that had in their profile... "I lost 100 lbs and it's looking for me. Maybe if I run fast enough it wouldn't find me" (I'm paraphrasing). I feel the same way. I need to keep running....
And yes, I have some very ambitious goals and thus another reason I don't want to have to stop running.
Since I'm only now starting to get various aches and pains, it has me very on-edge.

Derek

RunningHammer

posted: 12/6/2006 at 2:31 PM

Derek
Just a thought, but if the Dreadmill doesn't agree with you, does the hotel have an exercise bike you could use instead temporarily?
Okay it's not as good as running but you'd still get a good workout but without the impact of running on an unfamiliar surface?
Cheers
Davey

derek,
i just peeked at your blog also..congrats on losing 50 lbs...that's amazing. I lost 40 lbs since i started running back in May also. It looks like we're running about the same pace as well. Running sure helps a lot, now if i can only eat better..i use running as an excuse to ea tmore . I can understand your paranoia about the pains. Random pains just seem to flare up on me these days also. I also have pain and soreness on my left ankle from being sprained which leads to some soreness and tightness on my right knee and quads. Good luck with your training and hope your ankle feels better. and Let us know if it was the DreadMill's fault.

Jeffrey

posted: 12/7/2006 at 2:14 PM

I forgot to mention - if you are in an unfamiliar city, have you asked the hotel for running routes? If they don't maybe they will have a map for you next time you return to the hotel.